Grandparent names

[Night Elf]

My DH and I were talking about what name we called our grandparents. There seem to be many and I wanted to hear some of them. :)

 

Mine:

I had one great-grandmother: Nana

Gammy and PawPaw

Grandma and Daddy-B (my cousins called our Grandma by the name Bombie)

 

His:

Great-grandmother: Grandma Downst (for the grandmother downstairs) :lol:

Grandma Alice and Grandpa

Grandma Sue and Buster (his nickname)

[Ellie]

I didn't know my paternal grandparents, and only one of my g-grandparents.

 

My maternal grandparents were Grandmother and Poppy (and that's what my grandson will call me and Mr. Ellie :D ).

 

Grandmother's mother was Grandma. Grandmother's father was Pop. He died right before I was born, but there were many grandchildren (my mother and all her first cousins) and some g-grandchildren who did know him and talked about him, so I knew him by extension. :001_smile:

[serene]

Within our extended family we have:

 

Papa & Nana

Pop & Mamaw

Grandaddy & Grandmama

Grandaddy & Mammaw

Grandpop & Grandmom

Popper & Mimi

Gammy & Big Daddy

 

Most of these originate out of south GA.

[JudoMom]

Within our extended family we have:

 

Papa & Nana

Pop & Mamaw

Grandaddy & Grandmama

Grandaddy & Mammaw

Grandpop & Grandmom

Popper & Mimi

Gammy & Big Daddy

 

Most of these originate out of south GA.

 

Love the names Popper & Mimi! They sound like fun :001_smile:.

[MamaT]

I called mine Granny and Papa last name, and Grandma and Papa last name. My dh never knew his.

 

My kids call/called theirs Mema and Pepa, Grandma and Papa.

 

I will have my first grandchild this summer. My dh and I have decided we want to be called Mimi and Pops.

[NanceXToo]

I called my grandparents Nanny and Poppy.

 

My kids call some grandparents "Grandma/Grandpa" and one grandma they call "Bubbe" (which sounds like bubby) (Jewish grandma name).

[Lacie]

Grandma and Grandpa

MawMaw and PawPaw Joe (first name added for our kids)

MeMaw and PawPaw PD (first name added for our kids)

Granny Mac and PawPaw Ben

MamMaw

MeMe (pronounced with long e's) and Poppa

MeMe and PawPaw Great (pronounced with one short and one long e)

Nana

Nona

[Just Another Jen]

Ours were all Grandma and Grandad last name.

When we have grandkids we will be Granny and Grandad

[ChristusG]

I call both my maternal and paternal grandparents the same name. Nana and Pop-Pop. If they needed to be distinguished then I'd say Nana Lastname or Pop-Pop Lastname.

 

My great grandfathers died before I was born. And my great grandmothers died when I was young so I wasn't around them very much. But I remember calling them Great Nana Lastname.

[meggie]

My parents: Grammy and Grampy (though I don't talk to my dad anymore, so he rarely comes up)

 

My maternal grandparents: Obachan and Ojichan (Japanese for grandma and grandpa). My grandma is Japanese, my grandpa is not, it just seemed like an easy way to help DS keep everyone straight.

 

My paternal grandparents: Grandfather and Grandmother (Long story, she's not really my grandmother, she's my great aunt who married my grandfather after her sister died. But my family always referred to him as Grandfather and my real Grandmother as grandmother, so I just kept it the same)

 

My husband's parents: Grandma and Grandpa

 

My husband's grandparents: Great Grandma and Great Grandpa (insert last name).

[mytwomonkeys]

my paternal grandparents were Grammy & Grampy

 

my maternal grandparents were Grammy & Pop

 

my husband isn't home, so i cant ask him.

[Diana B]

I didn't know my g-grandparents, but my grandparents were all Grandma or Grandpa followed by first name.

 

My husband calls his grandparents Grandma/Grandpa Last Name for one side and then Granddad and Grandma Last Name on the other side.

 

For all of them - when in their presence they are often just called Grandma/Grandpa/Granddad (without name added in).

 

My son calls my mom Meme (She started out Grammy but when he started talking it was turned into Meme {long e's}. It's stuck and even my friend's kids call her Meme Sue). The rest of his grandparents are Grandma/Grandpa First Name. He is not as close to any of them as he is to Meme. So a more personal name didn't get assigned. He calls his g-grandparents the same as we call them (see above).

Edited April 23, 2011 by djbartch

[herbalgirl]

I called my mom's side grandma and grandpa and my dad's side "Babcie" for grandma.(Polish, pronounced "Bahbchee"). I didn't have a grandpa on that side growing up...

 

My dh calls his mom's side grandma and grandpa and his dad's side memere (French, but they pronounced it "Mem-may") and pepere ("Pep-pay")

 

My kids pretty much stick to that now, but call my mom and stepdad grammy and grampy. :)

[datgh]

Just a thought, you might want to check with the grandparents to be. When I found out I was pregnant, my mother announced to everyone that she was going to be an Oma (German for Grandmother). She was so excited that I didn't have the heart to tell her I wanted her to be Grandma. My parents have been Oma and Opa ever since.

[Ibbygirl]

abuelo and abuela. :)

[Hoggirl]

I only had one grandmother, and she was "grandma." But a friend of mine called her maternal grandmother "My mama," b/c her mom would always just say, "We're going to my mama's house." So that's what became the grandmother name! Too cute.

 

I want dh and me to be called "Big Daddy" and "Big Mama" if and when we are ever grandparents.

[mommaduck]

Nana (2 of these...Nan-nah and Nah-nah)

Mammaw

Mama (meh-meh)

Grandma *last name* (a few of these)

Great grandma *first name* (a few of these)

 

Bapaw

Papa (Papaw)

Grandpa *last name* (a couple of these)

Granddad (a couple of these)

Great grandpa *first name*

Great grandpa *last name*

 

parents of the godparents are yiayia nouna and papoose (can't spell it) nouno or Big Nouna and Big Nouno.

[3lilreds in NC]

I called mine Grandma and Grandpa, and if I needed to distiguish, Grandma/Grandpa Last Name.

 

You would not believe the drama dh's parents made when trying to decide what they wanted to be called when their first grandchild was born. Holy guacamole. Actually, it was probably my SIL who created most of the drama, as she is wont to do. *Her* mother did not want to be called "Grandma," so went with Nana (nah nah). Her father *did* want to be called Grandpa, so he got that name. MIL *did* want Grandma, I think, and it translated into Grammy when the first dgd couldn't say Grandma. FIL got Papa. (SIL also had the kids call her grandfather Gee-gee-Pa, which seemed unnecessarily complicated to me and NOT easy to say. Mine called my grandmother, Grandma, and if we needed to distinguish we referred to her as Great-Grandma. I called all my greats just "Grandma." I was not confused, by that, at least. :lol:)

 

Mine like being called Grandma and Grandpa. I find it funny that Schmooey calls both grandpas, "Papa." That name bugs me no end, and I don't know why, other than I thought all the hullabaloo over names for grandparents was just STUPID.

 

My favorite name ever is Grandmommy. I can't imagine my kids calling anyone that, but it is so sweet and endearing. Is it a southern thing?

[Caroline]

My grandparents were/are all Grandma and Grandpa. My mom and dad are Mimaugh (pronounced the same as Memaw, but she doesn't like that spelling) and Bucko/Gucko depending on the grandchild. My MIL is Grandma. I have a friend whose grandparents are Big Daddy and Grandzine. I love the name Grandzine. They are from New Orleans.

[Impish]

I have/had a grandma (maternal) a nan (paternal) and 2 grandpas.

 

My grandma is Nana to the kids.

My dad is Granddad.

My mom is Grandma/Grandmom Firstname

MIL is Grandma Firstname.

 

My MIL threw a hissy about it. She demanded that Tazzie call her just 'Grandma'. I pointed out that the children have TWO grandmothers, and so that's just the way it was gonna be. Oy.

[Night Elf]

Just a thought, you might want to check with the grandparents to be. When I found out I was pregnant, my mother announced to everyone that she was going to be an Oma (German for Grandmother). She was so excited that I didn't have the heart to tell her I wanted her to be Grandma. My parents have been Oma and Opa ever since.

 

My mom insisted her grandchildren all call her Nana. She absolutely refused to use the name Grandma and didn't even like it as a joke.

 

I love the name Mimi for a grandmother but I won't be able to use that because my dd18's stepsister's regular name is Mimi.

 

I really don't care what name I'm blessed with just so long as I actually have grandchildren! I hope I don't have to wait years and years.

[Lisa in Jax]

Mine were:

MeeMee and Granddaddy

Gramma and Grampa (not "Grandma" and "Grandpa." ;)

 

Dh's were: Granny and Granddaddy, and Granny's mom (dh's great-grandmother) was "Ninnie," and her husband was "Poppa."

He didn't know the other set b/c they died before he was born.

 

My kids call all of their grandparents Grandma First Name and Grandpa First name.

 

My friend's kids call her mom "This." When her dd was a baby, my friend's mom lived too far away to visit often, so she called on the telephone. She'd say, "This is grandma," when her granddaughter got on the telephone. So, from the time she could talk, her granddaughter called her "This." ;-)

 

Lisa

[5LittleMonkeys]

I never really was around either sets of my own grandparents.

 

My dc call my parents Bodee and PaPa and dh's parents MamMam and PopPop.

 

The name Bodee came from my oldest. When she was little she called her blanket (which she still has) bodee. I guess to her it was just the name you called things that were safe, soft and comforting.:D

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

My grandparents were Granny and Papa, and Grammy and Papa Lewis (there was a lot of confusion when I was little.)

 

My great-grandparents were Grandma Honey (because she called everyone "honey") and Grandpa Alex (no "greats" added) and Grandpa Bill and Mambo (MAM-bow.) She decided she was too young to be "grandma" when the frist grandchild was born, so she made that up (her name was Mary.)

 

For my kids: 'Apa (how my first said "grandpa") and Nana (she wanted to be called the samething her kids called her mom. But her mom is still alive and move near us, so the first Nana changed her name to GG for "great grandma.")

 

My mom is Grandma Robyn, aka Rah-rah to my 2yo. My grandparents when they visit are the same as what I call them.

[ange]

Mamaw and Papaw, but they spelled it Mam-ma and Pap-pa. (you got to say it with the right amount of "twang" too! ;)) My great-grandmother we called Granny, but her grandkids called her Mamaw too. Mamaw and Papaw are the common names used where I'm from in SE KY.

[Cortana]

On my mom's side I had one great-grandma I knew and she was Grandma Susie. My grandparents were Grandma last name and Grandpa last name. We lived a long way away from them and didn't get to see them much, my cousins all knew them as Memaw and Pop.

 

On my dad's side I only had my grandma and she was Grandma last name.

 

Dh had Grandma Rachel on his dad's side and Grandma and Grandpa on his mom's side.

 

For our kids, my parents are Mamaw and Pawpaw (although our 2yo has been calling him Pop lately, lol) and dh's parents are Grammy and Papa James.

 

The 2yo has taken to calling any older lady she meets "gamma". :D

[Kareni]

My grandparents were Oma and Opa.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[lynn]

We kept it simple.

 

great grandparents are grandma and grandpa

My mom's parents were Oma and Opa

my dad's parents wit Nana and grandpa.

 

It sure took some getting use to living in the south hearing big daddy, meemaw, gama, mimi, and all the other names for grandparents I had never heard.

 

I have one acquaintence whose mother could not tolerate being called grandma so she went by grandMary.

[nukeswife]

I never knew my great grandparents but my maternal ones were talked about and were called Busia (boo-shuh) and Dziadzia (jah-jah) the americanized Polish names for grandma and grandpa.

I simply called my grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa lastname or last initial.

 

My dh called his maternal grandparents grandma and grandpa lastname and his paternal grandparents were grandma and grandpa Pete (Pete was his nickname because his of our lastname Pederson, said with a long e sound for the first e, not a short one.

 

My kids call my parents Mamo (third sound of a, long o) and Papa, my dad's nickname is Smurf so papa seemed appropriate, and I always call my mother "Ma"and her nickname is Mo (she has a crazy spelled Polish last name) so we slapped them together. They call my dh's parents Grandma and Grandpa Pete in the tradition of using Pete as the nickname for their last name. DH's last living grandparent is know to my kids at Great Grandma Pete, and my last living grandparent is Grandma B (she also has a crazy spelled Polish lastname) although for a long time my dd called her Grandma with the White hair (even though it's actually more salt and pepper than white)

[3lilreds in NC]

It sure took some getting use to living in the south hearing big daddy, meemaw, gama, mimi, and all the other names for grandparents I had never heard.

 

 

:iagree:

 

Did you ever see the "First Rock" episode when the boy thought his girlfriend (Autumn, I think) was pregnant, and Dick and the girl's father were trying to decide what the child would call them? That was my first exposure to grandparent names outside Grandma/Grandpa, perhaps Nana. I thought they were kidding about some of those names. They were not. :lol:

 

On the Noggin show "Little Bill," they call the great-grandma "Alice the Great." I LOVE that! I want a name like that when I'm a great grandma. I don't think "Beth the Great" sounds that well though so perhaps "SuperBeth." :lol:

[Parrothead]

Double post

[Parrothead]

Great-grandmother Mimi

Grandmother called Mims later called Nono

Grandmother called Grandma

Grandfather called Granddad

[Farrar]

My grandmother is called Banny because the oldest grandchild didn't say "granny" properly when she was tiny and the name stuck. She is pretty much called "Banny" by everyone under 40 in her town at this point. It's practically a second name now.

[TN Mama]

Dh never knew his greats, but callled one set of grands Paw (Last name) and a Maw (Last name).

 

My grandmothers: Bubbie, Drindy (G-ma wanted to be called Granny, but I couldn't say it. She's been Drindy ever since) and Ma (Meh). My grandfathers: Papaw and Pappy.

 

Drindy & Pappy are still living & my kids call them the same. They call dh's mom, Mamaw, and my parents and steps Mimi & Paw and Sha-Sha & Grandon.

 

My mom wanted to be Lulu, but my oldest couldn't say her ls when she was little and came up with Sha-Sha when she heard someone call my mom by her first name.

[TN Mama]

My grandmother is called Banny because the oldest grandchild didn't say "granny" properly when she was tiny and the name stuck. She is pretty much called "Banny" by everyone under 40 in her town at this point. It's practically a second name now.

 

This is my grandmother exactly. She is referred to as Drindy by everyone my age & younger. Love it!

[Brindee]

My dh's great grandma was Nana. His dad's parents were MomMom and PopPop. His mom's parents were Grandmommy and Granddaddy, but he said they said it more "grin"mommy and "grin"daddy.

 

I only knew my mom's dad, Grandpa, and my dad's mom, who we called Grandma last name.

 

For our kids, they knew MomMom and PopPop and called them that. dh's parents are Grandmom and Granddad. My parents are Grammy and Gramps.

 

I haven't even considered what dh and I will be called! :001_huh: :tongue_smilie:

[kchara]

My mom and her husband are Grammy and Grandpie.

 

My dad and his wife are Mammaw and Pappaw.

 

My MIL is Grandma Jan (his dad is dead).

 

I called my maternal grandmother and great grandmother Grandma, and my paternal grandparents Mammaw and Pappaw. They're all dead except for my maternal grandmother, and she's called Boo-Boo by my kids. It started with a cousin who, ironically, doesn't call her Boo-Boo anymore.

 

I'm calling Mammaw and Pappaw when I have grandkids. :D

[Wendi]

Grandma and Grandpa

Grammie and Pop-pop

 

Wendi

[Reeciecup]

I only had one grandparent, and everybody called him Granddaddy. I love that name!

 

My inlaws are called Maw Maw and Popaw

 

My parents are Nanny and Papaw

 

And dh and I will probably be called Grammy and Granddaddy

[Caitilin]

My mom and dad are called Oma and Papa. Oma because I speak German and like it, and papa because that's what I called him. Dh is "dad".

 

Dh's mom is grandma. She was never married to his dad, and dh didn't know him for many years. They made contact about 8 years ago, and are now close. Dh calls his dad by his name, and so do the kids.

 

Dh's maternal grandparents are called Gram and Gramp. His paternal ones died before he knew them.

 

My maternal grandmother is called Nan, and before her death, my maternal grandmother was called Muz. My paternal grandfather is called Granddad, tho' we hardly ever see him. My maternal grandfather, before his death, was Grandpa.

 

We run the gamut!:lol:

[Jennifer]

my parents: Mamoo and PawPaw (although my 4 yo old, since moving to San Antonio and attending preschool with lots of Hispanic teachers and students, has started calling him Papi)

 

dh's parents: Grannie Annie and Grandfather Last Name

 

my grandma: Gaga

 

Jennifer

[fairfarmhand]

am I the only one who called my grandmother "Grandmother" (sounds formal I know, but she was anything but formal) and Granddad was Granddad.

 

I have a Memaw and Pawpaw on my dad's side

 

My parents Nana and Papa Dh's parents Grandma and Pawpaw.

[SBMama]

My Grandparents:

Granny & Pa

Bocho (made up by my cousin who couldn't say Grandpa)

Grandma Lastname (she remarried after her husband died, and my parents were always trying to get us to call her Grandma Newlastname, but that was NOT her name! lol)

 

My Great-grandmother:

Mamaw

 

My Parents:

Grammy

Papa & GiGi (my dad's long time girlfriend, her name starts with a "G")

 

DH's Parents:

Grandma & Grandpa

 

DH's Grandmas:

Great-Grandma & Great-Grandma Mac (her last name was Mc____)

[dakarimom5]

My grandmother started as grandmother, morphed to Gram then when she moved to Puerto Rico she became Cita. My grandfather was Zedo..I forget which language we took this from. His mother was Bubba...which is Slavic (I think) for old woman.

 

My mother is Grandmommy, at least that is what she calls herself;) My DH's mother is Nana.

 

I am now Avia...grandmother in Latin. My DH is Pops.

[HistoryMom]

I have one acquaintence whose mother could not tolerate being called grandma so she went by grandMary.

 

MIL is GrandMary. Step-MIL is Abuela (no Spanish connection, just a desire for an unusual name). FIL died before we were married. DH called his grandfathers just Grandpa [first name]. Grandpa's second wife is Grandma Glenda, which I love. Makes me think of the good witch. They're all from the south.

 

My grandmother and, for our kids, my mother: Mormor (Norwegian for grandmother, specifically mother's mother). My grandfather and my father: Morfar (mother's father). My cousins (children of my mother's brothers) use Farmor (father's mother) and Farfar (father's father). When we're talking to each other, we usually fumble around for a bit until someone says Bestemor (generic grandmother). They're from the mid-Atlantic and New England.

 

Once my kids came along and we had to distinguish between my mother and my grandmother, someone came up with a name that uses the initials of the family's very unusual, hypenated last name. Something like this: initials R.-Z., therefore Arzymor.

 

I like this thread. :)

[Virg]

I called mine (only had one set) Grandma and Grandpa. I called my great-grandpa Baby Grandpa, I guess I started it when I was really little because he was tiny.

 

My kids now call my dad, Papa and they called my mom, Grandma when she was alive. Since she passed away they now call her Special Grandma. Their great-grandma, my grandma, they call Baby Grandma. She is very tiny too :)

[Desert Rat]

I have a Nana and Papa.

And a Grandma and Ray. :) We just always called him by his first name. I don't know why.

 

Now, my kid's have a step grandfather they just call by his first name.

[Stacia]

My grandparents were:

Mema & Papa (pronounced paw-paw)

Grandmother & Grandfather

 

My kids call their grandparents:

Grandma & Grandpa

Oma & Opa

[bbsweetpea]

My grandparents

Nanny and PawPaw

Bertha (my great grandmother but I called her by her first name because everyone thought it was cute when I was little)

Nanny (last name ... another great grandmother)

Granny and Mr. (last name ... he was divorced from my grandmother and an evil man)

Memaw and Papaw (great grandparents)

Mr. (last name) Mrs. (last name) -these were step grandparents and were in their 40's when they had their boys so in their 70's when we came along ... loved them dearly though.

 

Husbands-

Oma and PawPaw

Grandma

 

My kids call their grandparents ...

Nana and PawPaw (mine and really the only grandparents they have)

MeeMaw and Grandpa (first name) - Husbands Parents and his mother has passed ... his dad really has nothing to do with his kids since their mother passed 3 years ago so my kids don't really know him. SAD

Grandpa (first name) - My bio father but they have only met him 2 times

 

They also call their great grandparents

Granny

Great Great Nanny (she passed a year ago though)

Grandma (last name) - She passed a year ago and was my step grandmother

Oma and PawPaw

Grandma

[eternalknot]

My grandparents were called "grandma" and "grandpa" in our native language (Asian). I didn't distinguish with first or last names, just always called each of them by the term "grandma" or "grandpa" ... we lived with them for much of my life. It was never really all that confusing, people could usually tell by context whom we were referring to.

 

My kids call my parents Tutu Ma and Tutu Pa, which is a mix of pidgin and English. They call their dad's parents "grandma" and "grandpa" in his family's native language (Eastern European).

 

I don't have any preference for what my grandkids wish to call me. It'll be interesting, though, because my husband and I are different cultures so I wonder if that will be lost and we'll become the standard Grandma & Grandpa ... or if I'll be the Asian grandma and he'll be the Slavic grandpa LOL.